Carton structure



June 6, 1939. R, B BQYLE 2,161,128

CARTON STRUCTURE Filed NOV. ll, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l .June 6, 1939. R. B. BoYLE CARTON STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 11, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented June 6, 1939 PATENTl OFFICE CARTON STRUCTURE Robert B. Boyle, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Consolidated Carton, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Appueeuen November 11, 1937, serial No. 174,043

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to locking structures for cartons and the like and particularly for egg cartons.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a structure for locking a relatively rigid sheet or strip edgewise to a panel of slightly flexible sheet material.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved locking structure for a longitudinal partition which is inserted into cartons to divide it into cells where such partition also provides a suspension for an egg-rack or bottom of the carton.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown an egg carton embodying the invention, but it is to be underst'ood that a number of features of construction are old and well known, and may be modified or substituted in other cartons also embodying the invention as disclosed or as modified within the scope of the appended claims. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 represents a blank which is cut and scored to be folded and glued to form a flatfoldable egg carton.

Fig. 2 represents a relatively rigid partition to divide the carton longitudinally.

Fig. 3 represents a fragmentary view of the bot- Atom of the carton looking upwardly at the carton of Fig. 5.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section of thecarton taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 6, showing the interlocked partition and bottom.

Fig. 51s a perspective view of t'he as yet unfilled carton resulting from setting up the blank of Fig. l with two partitions of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a transverse longitudinal section of the carton of Fig. 5 on the line 6 6 thereof, showing the suspension of the bottom by the partitions.

A piece of stock is cut and scored to provide a fiat blank as shown in Fig. 1. It is divided into areas or panels for particular parts of the box as follows: locking flap I0, cover. I2, rear longitudinal side wall I4, bottom sections I6, I8, 20 and 22, front longitudinal side wall 24, cross-wallforming panel 26, and glue-strip 28. There are intervening scored lines designated by numerals II. I3, I5, I1, I9, 2I, 23, 25 and 21.

vThe general arrangement of these parts, considering the bottom sections I6 to 22 inclusive broadly as a bottom wall is well known and is subject to various well known modifications. The particular form is representative only. The

" blank is such that upon folding the glue strip 26 is adhesively united to the interior of back-wall I4, at such a zone that the scored lines I5, 23, and 21 form a parallelogram permitting flat-folding of the carton.

The cross-wall panel 26 is cut in a well known way to provide down-foldable flaps, or cross-walls, or rtransverse partitions, designated 30, 3|, 32,- 33, and 34, each with a triangular or similar tab at scored line 25 and tab 36 at scored line 21, and a scored hinging line 31 between each flap and its tab 35, and a similar scored hinging line 36 between each flap and tab 36. This structure of the flaps is also well known and is merely representative of the known variations of such structure.

A woll known locking structure for locking flap I0 is also employed, consisting of tongues 40 with notches 4I which engage under several of the tabs 35. I

The down-foldable flaps divide the carton into cells. Ordinarily, such structures are provided with one longitudinal partition, and the crosswalls are more numerous to form egg cartons with six cells lengthwise and two cells cross-wise. In the box of the drawings, there are two such longitudinal partitions and fewer cross-walls to provide a box having four cells lengthwise, and three cells crosswise. Certain parts of the box are accordingly constructed to give a rigid box, a locked structure, and a cushioned bottom.

The cross-walls 30 to 34 are each provided with two slots or recesses 43 to receive the cross-partltions in an intersecting relationship. In line with the two rows of such recesses, the bottom is provided with elongated slots 44 and 45 of slightly different structures. Slot 44 is longer in open area than slot 45, but slot 45 has a cut 46 which makes slot 45 as long as and preferably longer than slot 44 when the cut is used as an extension of the slot. 'Ihe cut 46 is at one side of the slot and is located laterally of the ultimate position of a longitudinal partition to be placed over it. This forms a tab 41 at the end of slot 45 to shorten it. The tab presents an edge 48 across the end of the shortened slot. Tab 41 may flex onthe dotted line designated 49 (Fig. 3), as will be clear hereinafter, and as shown in flexed position in the upper line of slots in Fig. 3.

The longitudinal partition is shown in Fig. 2 and is designated 50, being used in duplicate. It has slots or recesses 52 spaced to interlock with the slots or recesses 43 in the cross-walls, bringing the partition edges 53 above the bottom edges of the carton, but in contact with or close to the bottom of the carton which flexes or'folds upwardly to provide a raised or suspended bottom. The partition has tongues 54 projecting below the line of edges 53, with notches 65 therein partly defined by edges 53.

The tongues 54 and the slots 44 and 45 in the bottom are cooperatively located so that the tongues may be inserted into the longer dimensions of the slots as shown in the upper row in Fig. 3, and then be moved longitudinally to bring the bottoms of notches 55 into engagement with the ends of the slots, as shown in the lower row of Fig. 3. At the ends of the partitions there are iingers designated 56 and 51 which hold the end iiaps.

When the carton is assembled, it is taken from nat-folded form and opened so that the parallelogram described becomes rectangular. A partition 50 is held so that finger 51 by the adjacent recess 52 is locked into one of the recesses 43 exposed at the end ap 34. In this position the cross-Walls are in the plane of their panel 26 and the partition is up-standing. The partition is then rolled down to turn the engaged end iiap 94 on its hinging lines 31 and 38. As it moves the tongues 54 in succession come into contact with and turn down the other flaps 33, 32, 3| and 30 and the partition interlocks with each one. The bottom is moved up, folding on its scored lines 2| and I1, to bring the slots 44 and 45 into position to receive the tongues 54. In doing this the' tongues at slots 45 are forced to move' into the cut 46 so that the tongue will readily enter the longer slot. Tab 41 is thus slightly flexed. Then the longitudinal partition 50 is moved to bring the notch 55 into engagement with the opposite end of the slot. The tongue then leaves the cut 46 and moves laterally in the slot to its normal position laterally of the cut 46, so that it strikes the edge 48 of the tab 41 to hold the partition sufficiently from longitudinal movement to prevent disengagement of the notch 55. Although the locking tab 41 is illustrated as located at the end of the slot opposite the position of the notch 55, it may be moved to the other end. So moved the notch will engage the tab 41. The preferred and illustrated arrangement makes a stronger and surer structure because the notch is then engaging a xed edge, rather than an edge of a movable tab.

It will be observed that the bottom sections I6 and 22 form inclined bottoms for the side rows of egg cells and these provide a cushion for the eggs. The two narrower sections i8 and 20 will normally remain in a horizontal plane, until eggs are placed in the middle row, when the weight thereof bends the plane at the scored line i9 into a V-shaped bottom elevated from the bottom edges of the carton at lines I and 23.

Because the bottom of the carton is thus elevated, the tongues 54 are exposed beneath the bottom as projections. The pressure of eggs, for example egg E in Fig. 6, laterally against the cross-walls in many positions of handling, for example as in tilting it to slide it oii a shelf in a refrigerator, may be such as to tend to move the longitudinal partitions in a direction to disengage the notches 55. Unless these partitions are so locked against this movement, the partitions might be disengaged and accidentally rise or be pushed upwardly, causing the bottom to drop away from its suspension and to buckle or sag with a danger that eggs will drop out. This is far more likely to happen where there are three rows of eggs, than where there are two rows, because in the present carton the span of the bnf.-

tom is greater, and it is made to be ilexed into a non-planar structure. Nevertheless, the locking structure is equally usefulv in a two-row carton as an improved means for locking the parts into practically an irreversible structure when containing eggs. The eggs hold the partitions 50 in their normal positions out of line with the cut 46 into which a tongue 54 must be moved to unlock the partition 50. The lateral location of the cut 46 relative to the normal position of the partition 50 is therefore an important part of the structure for the purposes intended.

Although the tab 41 has been described as movable, it is to be understood that motion is forced only when the cut 46 is of width narrower than the thickness of the tongue 54 on the longitudinal partition 50. By making the cut as wide or wider than such thickness, and maintaining its position laterally of the ultimate location of the partition, the tab 41 will not move, and the tongue will move freely into the cut 46.

The invention hereof involves the slot 45, and it is to be understood that its use is not limited to the particular structure herein illustrated. It is also advantageous in 2x6 cell cartons, for example as an improvement of the structure shown in Bueschel U. S. Serial No. 648,973, flied December 27, 1932, now U. S. Patent No. 2,105,181, issued January 11, 1938. Likewise, its use is not limited to cartons having one bottom, but it may be used in structures having false bottoms, or egg racks, for example of the type shown in Bueschel U. S. Patent No. 1,940,292.

Reference is made to Patent No. 2,158,216 of May 16, 1939, issued on my copending application Serial No. 174,044, led also on November 11, 1937, with a like disclosure and drawings.

I claim:

1. In a carton for eggs and the like having a panel cut to provide a series of down-foldable aps which in down-folded position provide parallel transverse partitions in the carton, the combination therewith of a separate insertable longitudinal partition having an intersecting relation with said cross-walls to divide the carton into cells. a tongue on the bottom of said partition with a lateral notch therein, and a bottom panel beneath said transverse partitions deiining the bottoms of said cells, said bottom having an elongated ,open narrow slot therein to receive the tongue with said notch engaging one end of the slot, the slot having a straight-line side parallel with the normal position of the partition, said slot also having a shorter open length and a cut extending said straight-line side of the slot to give the slot a longer length, and a tab formed thereby at the end of the slot, said tab having a right angle corner formed by said cut and by the end of the shorter length of slot, the tongue having its greatest width less than the longer length of the slot and greater than the shorter length of the slot, and having its width at the notch not greater than the shorter length of the slot, whereby the tongue may be inserted in the longer slot and moved longitudinally therein and then laterally to be held therein by said tab.

2. In a carton for eggs and the like having a panel cut to provide a series of down-foldable iiaps which in down-folded position provide parallel transverse partitions in the carton, the combination therewith of a separate insertable longitudinal partition having an intersecting relation with said cross-walls to divide the carton into cells, a tongue on the bottom of said pararomas tition with a lateral notch therein, and a bottom panel beneath. said transverse partitions deiining the bottoms of said cells, said bottom having an elongated open narrow slot therein to receive the tongue with said notch engaging one end oi' the slot, the slot having a straight-line side parallel with the normal position of the partition, said slot also having a shorter open length and a cut at the opposite end from the notch, said cut extending said straight-iine side of the slot to give the slot a longer length, and a tab formed thereby at the end of the slot, said tab having a right angle corner formed by said cut and by the end of the shorter length of slot, the tongue having its greatest width less than lthe longer length of the slot and greater than the shorter length of the slot, and having its width at said notch not greater than the shorter length of the slot whereby the tongue may be inserted in the longer slot and moved longitudinally therein and then laterally to be held therein by said tab.

3. A structure for locking a relatively rigid sheet or strip edgewise to a panel of slightly ilexible stock comprising a relatively rigid sheet or strip providingan edge, a tongue projecting from said edge with a notch therein at said edge, and a panel of slightly ilexible sheet material having an elongated open narrow slot therein for engagement of one end oi the slot by said notch, said slot having one side formed in a straight line parallel to the normal position of the rigid strip, said side being extended by a cut to provide a longer length for 1 the slot, and a tab formed thereby at the end oi the slot, said tab having a right angle corner formed by said cut and by the end of the shorter length oi slot. the tongue having its greatest width less than the longer length of the slot and greater than the shorter length of the slot, and having its width at said notch not greater than the shorter length of the slot whereby the tongue may be inserted in the longer slot and moved longitudinally therein and then laterally to be held therein by said tab.

4. A structure ior locking a relatively rigid sheet or strip edgewise to a panel oi slightly ilexible stock comprising a relatively rigid sheet or strip providing anedge, a tongue projecting from said edge with a notch therein at said edge, and a panel of slightly ilexible sheet material having an elongated open narrow slot therein for engagement of one end of the slot by said notch, "said slot having one side formed in a straight line parallel to the normal position of the rigid strip, said side being extended at the other end oi the slot by a cut to provide a longer length' for the slot. and a tab formed thereby at said end of the slot opposite the location oi the notch, said tab having a right angle corner formed by said cut and by the end oi the shorter length of slot, the tongue having its greatest width less than the longer length of the slot and greater than the shorter length of the slot, and having its width at said notch not greater than the shorter length oi the slot whereby the tongue may be inserted in the longer slot and moved longitudinally therein and then laterally to be held therein by said tab with the tab and notch at opposite ends oi thev slot.

5. A structure for locking a relatively rigid sheet or strip edgewise to a panel of sheet material comprising a relatively rigid sheet or strip providing an edge,-a tongue projecting from said edge with a notch therein at said edge, and a panel oi sheet materialv having an elongated open narrow slot therein of width greater than the thickness oi said tongue, said slot having one side formed in a straight line parallel to the normal position oi the rigid strip, said side being extended by a cut of width not less than said thickness to provide a longer length for the slot, and a tab formed thereby at the end of the slot, said tab having a right angle corner formed by said eut and by the end of the shorter length of the slot, the tongue having its greatest width less than the longer length oi the slot and greater than' the shorter length of the slot, and having its width at `said notch not greater than the shorter length of the slot whereby the tongue may be inserted in the longer slot and moved longitudinally therein and then laterally to be held therein by said tab.

OBERT IB. BOYLE. 

